Life-saving raft.



APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1917. 1,244,020.

s. BODNAR.

LIFE SAVING RAFT.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

s. BODNAR.

LIFE SAVING RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9' I917.

Patented 00th 23,1917.

S. BODNAR.

LIFE SAVING RAFT. APPLICATION men JUNE 9, 1917.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 anmwto'c 'mvrrn sir S Mid-T WEE? STEPHAN BODNAR, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LIFE-SAVING RAFT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, STEPHAN BoDNAR, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Rafts, of which the following. is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hfe saving rafts, and has as 1ts principalv object the provision of a raft capable of containing a'plurality of passengers safely protected against danger due to submergence of the craft and buffeting of the waves.

A further object of the invention is to provide such rafts in forms which are readily launched when filled with passengers, means being provided whereby the raft is'held in a substantially upright position, provisions made for the inlet of light and air, and finally, to provide means whereby the raft may be propelled in a novel manner by its occupants. v

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which v Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofa life saving raft made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the center line of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the propelling device in detail, and

Fig. 5 is a similar perspective view show ing one of the paddle blades used in the propelling device.

The invention is composed of a cylindrical shell 10, at each end of which are rigidly attached conical endelements 11 and 12 respectively, while at the bottom is a convex element 14, all of which are united by rivets or the like in a substantial manner.

The convex element 14 is located preferably centrally of the shell, and is adapted to receive water through the inlet valve 15, when the raft is immersed, the Water acting as ballast whereby the raft is maintained in an upright position and prevented from rollm l kttached to the top of the cylinder 10 are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 23, 1917..

Application filed June 9, 1917. Serial No. 173,687. f

a pairof looped eyes 17 engageable with davits such as are usually carried by a marine vessel.

Centrallyon the cylinder 10 and directly opposite the ballast valve 15 is a raised flange 18, having'beveled interior walls engaging with which is a packing ring 19, carried by the removable cover 20, engaged by the hinges 22, to the exterior of the casing 10, the cover 20 having a bolt 24 provided with a nuthaving an elongated bar head, the same being engagealole within a slot formedin' theyoke 26, so'made that when the nut 25 is loosened that the yoke may pass upward through the opening in the flange 18 when the cover 20 is turned upon its hinges, thus allowing the entrance of the passengers and also providing means Where by the cylinder may be hermetically closed wlrelrdesired. I

At the junction of the conical ends 11 and 12 and cylinder 10,"ar'e vertical plates 28,

the same acting as reinforcements for the cylinder 10, and formed centrally in them are bearings in" which the studs 30 rotate, the studs pivotally supporting a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal seats 32, attached to transverse bars 38, and having connections 34 with the platform 35, upon which the feet of the occupants may rest, thus providing means whereby a number of people may ride in a comfortable manner, the seats being so supported as to act in the manner of a pendulum, thereby maintaining the occupants in an upright position.

The studs 30'are also used to support the transverse seats 38, having platforms 39, whereby other occupants may be carried in the end elements lland 12, which are provided with light through the openings 40,

which are covered with glass or other trans-' parent materiallin an obvious manner.

In the conical compartment 12 is arranged a rigid tube 42, held from rotating by means of its inner end 43 engaging with a fixed "bracket 44, and partition plate 45, after "which the tube passes out through the stuffenter within the tube, it will obviously settle in the lower portion of the box 46 where it may be drained by the valve 50.

In the opposite conical element 11, is an other stuliing box 52, through which passes a spindle 58, having a pair of oppositely disosed handles 54, arr nged on its inner end adjacent to the seat 38, so that the occupants may operate the same. 7

The outer end of the spindle 53 is turned at a right angle forming a vertical bar 55, in which are engaged a plurality of plates 56 by means of rods 57 passing through openings 58 formed in the cylindrical outer portion 59 of the plates, which are made in two sections joined by a U shaped connection 60, extending longitudinally of the plate, and adapted to engage with the eX- terior of the bar 55, when the handles 54 are pushed outward.

In operation, it being assumed that the raft is disposed upon the deck of a vessel, with a cover 20 in a raised position, the passen ers may enter through the upper opening and take their positions upon the seats 32 and 38, whereupon the cover is closed and secured upon the interior by proper manipulation of the yoke 26 and nut 25.

The raft may be lowered by making connections through the eyes 17 with the davits or other launching means; upon entering the water, the valve 15 opens allowing the compartment contained in the element 1% to become filled, thereby preventing rolling of the raft.

The occupants on the seat 38 within the conical end 11 may then operate the handle 54:, giving to the spindle 53 a reciprocating longitudinal movement, thereby actuating the blades 56, which, as will be noted, are turned substantially horizontal when the handles are drawn inwardly but present their entire area when pressed. outward against the water in which they are submerged.

Thus the raft may be propelled by the occupants in an obvious manner, light being provided by the transparent cover 40 and air through the pipe 42 as indicated.

Should the raft have any tendency to roll or turn, it will be observed that the occupants upon the seats 32 and 38 will be main tained in an upright position, due to the fact that the center of gravity of the seats is below the pivotal point of the studs 30.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a strong and effective device is presented in which passengers may be carried in safety for any length of time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a life raft, the combination with a cylindrical casing having conical end ele- 1nents,iof a ballast chamber, means for automatically filling said chamber, an elliptical flanged opening opposite said ballast chamber, a cover hingedly engaged therewith, means for securing said cover from Within the interior of said cylinder, means for the inlet of light, a rigid air tube secured in one of the conical ends of said casing, the open end of said air tube being above the axial point of said casing, a coil formed in said tube eXteriorly of said casing, vertically disposed reinforcing elements in the ends of said cylinder, a pair of oppositely disposed seats pivotally supported by said elements at the axial line of said cylinder, transversely disposed seats arranged in said. conical end elements, and internally operated means whereby said raft may be propelled.

2. In a life saving raft, the combination with a cylindrical casing having conical ends rigidly engaged therewith, of a ballast compartment secured to said cylinder, an opening formed in said cylindrical casing opposite said ballast, a cover hinged thereto, means for securing said cover interiorly of said casing, a pair of oppositely disposed vertical plates secured in said casing, seats pivotally supported by said plates, pendent platforms engaged with said seats, transverse seats in the ends of said casings, said transverse seats being pivotally supported, means for the inlet of light, an air inlet at one end of said casing, a spindle slidably engaged at the other end of said casing, handles f rmed with said spindle interiorly of said casing and contiguous to one of said transverse seats, a bar with said spindle extending at right angles thereto, and a plurality of longitudinally disposed plates hingedly engaged with said bar whereby said cylinder may be propelled.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

STEPHAN BODNAR.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

